conversion to NTFS an irreversible

[Tala]

Why is conversion to NTFS an irreversible operation?

[Nicholas]

It's easier to convert large clusters (FAT) to smaller clusters (NTFS)
then to convert small clusters to large clusters. You can return to
FAT by reformatting your drive, thus wiping it clean, and select
FAT32 as your file system, then reinstall everything.

--=20
Nicholas

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Tala" > wrote in message:
...

| Why is conversion to NTFS an irreversible operation?

[LittleMac]

Nicholas wrote:
| It's easier to convert large clusters (FAT) to smaller clusters (NTFS)
| then to convert small clusters to large clusters. You can return to
| FAT by reformatting your drive, thus wiping it clean, and select
| FAT32 as your file system, then reinstall everything.
|
|
|| Why is conversion to NTFS an irreversible operation?

Another way to do this is to copy *everything* to an additional FAT32
partition. Then delete the NTFS partition using FDISK, BootIt NG,
Partition Magic or whatever you wish. Following that you create a new
FAT partition recopy everything to the new FAT32 partition.

Wouldn't that do it? I mean, his goal is to have WinXP on a FAT32
partition, it sounds like. Did I leave anything out?

[Spinner]

"LittleMac" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Nicholas wrote:
> | It's easier to convert large clusters (FAT) to smaller clusters (NTFS)
> | then to convert small clusters to large clusters. You can return to
> | FAT by reformatting your drive, thus wiping it clean, and select
> | FAT32 as your file system, then reinstall everything.
> |
> |
> || Why is conversion to NTFS an irreversible operation?
>
> Another way to do this is to copy *everything* to an additional FAT32
> partition. Then delete the NTFS partition using FDISK, BootIt NG,
> Partition Magic or whatever you wish. Following that you create a new
> FAT partition recopy everything to the new FAT32 partition.
>
> Wouldn't that do it? I mean, his goal is to have WinXP on a FAT32
> partition, it sounds like. Did I leave anything out?
>

Yes, one very important thing.
Just copying the files will not give you a bootable OS.
That may have worked in 95/98 but not in NT/2000/XP.



>
>

[D.Currie]

Actually, if you have Partition Magic, it has a tool to convert NTFS to
Fat32. Personally, I wouldn't attempt something like that without a really
good backup, just in case. That's not the type of thing that I expect to go
well, even though it's supposed to work without losing any files.

"LittleMac" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Nicholas wrote:
> | It's easier to convert large clusters (FAT) to smaller clusters (NTFS)
> | then to convert small clusters to large clusters. You can return to
> | FAT by reformatting your drive, thus wiping it clean, and select
> | FAT32 as your file system, then reinstall everything.
> |
> |
> || Why is conversion to NTFS an irreversible operation?
>
> Another way to do this is to copy *everything* to an additional FAT32
> partition. Then delete the NTFS partition using FDISK, BootIt NG,
> Partition Magic or whatever you wish. Following that you create a new
> FAT partition recopy everything to the new FAT32 partition.
>
> Wouldn't that do it? I mean, his goal is to have WinXP on a FAT32
> partition, it sounds like. Did I leave anything out?
>
>
>

[Donald Link]

I am not positive ( do not want to take the chanch) but Partition Magic
gives me that option.



"Tala" > wrote in message
...
> Why is conversion to NTFS an irreversible operation?
>

[John E. Carty]

Backing up important data is always a must. That said, I have used Partition
Magic on several occasions on various systems to convert NTFS to FAT32 and
never had any issues :-)


"D.Currie" > wrote in message
...
> Actually, if you have Partition Magic, it has a tool to convert NTFS to
> Fat32. Personally, I wouldn't attempt something like that without a really
> good backup, just in case. That's not the type of thing that I expect to
go
> well, even though it's supposed to work without losing any files.
>
> "LittleMac" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> >
> > Nicholas wrote:
> > | It's easier to convert large clusters (FAT) to smaller clusters (NTFS)
> > | then to convert small clusters to large clusters. You can return to
> > | FAT by reformatting your drive, thus wiping it clean, and select
> > | FAT32 as your file system, then reinstall everything.
> > |
> > |
> > || Why is conversion to NTFS an irreversible operation?
> >
> > Another way to do this is to copy *everything* to an additional FAT32
> > partition. Then delete the NTFS partition using FDISK, BootIt NG,
> > Partition Magic or whatever you wish. Following that you create a new
> > FAT partition recopy everything to the new FAT32 partition.
> >
> > Wouldn't that do it? I mean, his goal is to have WinXP on a FAT32
> > partition, it sounds like. Did I leave anything out?
> >
> >
> >
>
>

[D.Currie]

I've never had a problem with it either, but it's the type of procedure,
that if it goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong. You're not going to just lose
a few file, it's all going to go.

"John E. Carty" > wrote in message
...
> Backing up important data is always a must. That said, I have used
Partition
> Magic on several occasions on various systems to convert NTFS to FAT32 and
> never had any issues :-)
>
>
> "D.Currie" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Actually, if you have Partition Magic, it has a tool to convert NTFS to
> > Fat32. Personally, I wouldn't attempt something like that without a
really
> > good backup, just in case. That's not the type of thing that I expect to
> go
> > well, even though it's supposed to work without losing any files.
> >
> > "LittleMac" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > >
> > >
> > > Nicholas wrote:
> > > | It's easier to convert large clusters (FAT) to smaller clusters
(NTFS)
> > > | then to convert small clusters to large clusters. You can return to
> > > | FAT by reformatting your drive, thus wiping it clean, and select
> > > | FAT32 as your file system, then reinstall everything.
> > > |
> > > |
> > > || Why is conversion to NTFS an irreversible operation?
> > >
> > > Another way to do this is to copy *everything* to an additional FAT32
> > > partition. Then delete the NTFS partition using FDISK, BootIt NG,
> > > Partition Magic or whatever you wish. Following that you create a new
> > > FAT partition recopy everything to the new FAT32 partition.
> > >
> > > Wouldn't that do it? I mean, his goal is to have WinXP on a FAT32
> > > partition, it sounds like. Did I leave anything out?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

[Name]

In article >,
says...
> I've never had a problem with it either, but it's the type of procedure,
> that if it goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong. You're not going to just lose
> a few file, it's all going to go.

For what it's worth (not much, I realize), I'll "third" the previous two
comments. Although I just work with partitions rather than the whole
drive (which makes a BIG difference and therefore may not even apply to
the original situation), I have a partition that I merrily go back and
forth between NTFS and FAT32 at least weekly by using Partition Magic.
So far, I've never had the slightly problem nor any data loss
whatsoever.

--

Dwight Klettke

ICQ# 1004858 or any other IM
http://www.geocities.com/dwightklettke/